Re: Newbie looking for advice

From: Zach (fdjfdj_at_gfjsfj.net)
Date: 10/29/04 

Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 14:28:58 -0400

"Zach" <fdjfdj@gfjsfj.net> wrote in message
news:idudnf8f8Yd2FR_cRVn-1w@comcast.com...
>
> "mirror" <mailto@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
> news:3n15o09hkqjjriml24r4000f9d9e9qu80l@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 13:34:45 -0400, "FDSf" <fdjfdj@gfjsfj.net>
>> wrote:
>>>I've been trying to learn some basic Japanese on and off for a couple
>>>years
>>>without motivation, but over the last month I completed the first 30
>>>lessons
>>>of Pimsleur Japanese lessons and wish to continue my education with the
>>>next
>>>two sets. In addition to those, however, I'm looking for a good
>>>(textbook)
>>>learning system, possibly one that works between textbook and CDs, that
>>>either isn't too expensive or that I could obtain MP3s of from a P2P
>>>network.
>>
>> These will definitely get you speaking...
>>
>> Japanese: The Spoken Language, part 1 (lessons 1-12)
>> Eleanor Harz Jorden, Mari Noda (contributor)
>> Yale, October 1987
>> ISBN: 0-3000-3834-8 <==
>>
>> Japanese: The Spoken Language, part 2 (lessons 13-24)
>> Eleanor Harz Jorden
>> Yale, June 1988
>> ISBN: 0-3000-4188-8 <==
>>
>> Japanese: The Spoken Language, part 3 (lessons 25-30)
>> Eleanor Harz Jorden
>> Yale, June 1990
>> ISBN: 0-3000-4191-8 <==
>>
>> Get the audio on MP3 here...
>> ftp://streaming-ftp.it.ohio-state.edu/audio/jpn09su03/
>>
>> To learn the basics of writing, get...
>> Reading Japanese
>> Eleanor Harz Jorden
>> Yale University Press, June 1, 1976
>> ISBN: 0-3000-1913-0
>> (Cheap, boring, very effective.)
>>
>> I think Pimsleur Japanese is fine for pronunciation, intonation,
>> and rhythm but is mainly a glorified phasebook. It'll get you
>> ordering in a sushi bar. Pimsleur Japanese often appears here...
>> alt.binaries.world-languages
>> alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.spoken-word
>
> I decided to start with Pimsleur because I like the more "natural"
> approach: picking up the language as if you were a kid absorbing your
> native tongue, then afterwards learning the mechanics and grammatical
> rules.
>
> Japanese: The Spoken Language... what kind of approach does this use? Is
> it written in kana or romaji? I can't find much info on it via
> Google-search...
>
> Zach.
>

Ahh, I managed to find some info. I actually have seen something from this
author in the past... a package that Barron's put out for learning to
"speak, read, and write Japanese". Luckily I got it from my library, because
I was horrified to find that not only did it not even touch upon written
Japanese: it used a system of Romaji that made my eyes cross and my nose
crinkle up in disgust.

Although this system is perhaps the best for learning to speak perfectly
intoned, accented Japanese, I am looking for a more all-round approach that
presents Japanese as a slightly more complete package - if possible - or at
least without that intensely terrible phonetic language Jorden uses...

 Zach.

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